Awakened
by Lady Creepypasta
Summary: 5 years ago, before Agito had awakened Toola, a young man known as Shunack was awakened. In a state of grief, confusion and guilt, Shunack wants to return the world to its former glory. But restoration isn't the only thing on Shunack's mind within these years; how tough was it really for him to leave Neutral City?
1. Chapter 1: Waking Up

_**Awakened**_

 **~Chapter 1: Waking Up~**

"He's alive," gasped a surprised voice coming from the crowd of murmuring red-armoured people.

"Huh?!" exclaimed a young man as he threw his body forwards into a sitting position, glancing around at every face which surrounded him. His sapphire eyes were filled with confusion as a number of militants murmured and stared at him. None of these people looked familiar.

Out stepped a blonde haired woman, practically hidden behind her armour and cloak. The man stared at her with worry, shuffling back slightly. "Who are you?" he asked quietly, almost too afraid to ask. "And where am I?"

The woman turned to one of the militants standing beside her before turning back to face the young man. "You don't know where you are?" she asked him.

"Not at all," the man answered. He then blinked, his face becoming more alert as if he had recalled something. He leaped out of the ice box from which he had been awakened, running out of the large room which had a somewhat abandoned feel to it with the amount of vegetation growing.

"Wait!" the woman yelled, running after him, followed by the group of soldiers. The younger man didn't seem to listen to her as he scrambled up various obstacles to make his way back up to the surface. Once he had reached his destination, he froze.

With wide eyes the black-haired man stared at the collapsed city which had been buried beneath its own rubble. Skyscrapers lay on their sides with poor structures built on top of them from the debris of the fallen city.

Seeing the younger human struggling to comprehend the sight, the woman calmly yet cautiously approached him. "I am Colonel Jessica of Ragna," she introduced confidently. Her voice almost startled the man as he turned to face her, hyperventilating from the shock.

"What is this place?" he asked her, now demanding for a direct answer.

"You are looking at Neutral City," Jessica explained. "The people there believe that they can live in harmony with the Forest."

"The Forest?" The man seemed confused, but then he realised what she meant. He turned his head and saw the large forest not far from the city. It looked like a normal forest at first glance, but he knew that it was something much more. This was the same forest which had attacked Earth.

"It's a hostile force which has caused the world to be this way," Jessica continued as the baffled spirit stared at the beautiful threat. "We people of the city of Ragna seek to eliminate the Forest in order to restore the glory humanity is said to have once had."

But as the man continued to stare at the Forest, an old woman with silver hair made her way to the group. "What are you doing here, Jessica?" she asked.

Jessica scowled. "None of your business, Yolda," the harsh militant responded. The woman, Yolda, was already focused on the new face before her, seeing that he was wearing the clothes of a scientist.

"And who are you?" she asked him.

"Oh," the man hesitated before trying to gain a bit of formality. "My name is Shunack."

"Shunack," Yolda quietly repeated to herself, nodding her head once as she memorized the name. She then made eye contact with him again. "So tell me, Shunack, are you with them?"

Before Shunack could respond, Jessica stepped in front of him, blocking him from Yolda's view. "He means nothing to you," she spat. "We found him in stay-field hibernation."

"So because you found him he is now your property?" Yolda questioned. "A new toy soldier in your childish games?"

Jessica growled, looking as if she was about to strike the elder woman, but an older man landed beside the fellow elder.

"What seems to be the problem over here?" he asked confidently, though he already had a vague idea of what it was just by seeing Jessica and Shunack.

"Hajan, your timing couldn't have been more perfect," Yolda mused, smiling ever so slightly with a hint of smugness as she did her best to remain formal, turning back to look at Jessica.

"Oh, it's these guys again," Hajan frowned, seeing the accompanying soldiers aiming their guns at him and Yolda. "What are they doing this time?"

"They seem to have found someone who was put into hibernation a long time ago," Yolda deduced. "And Jessica seems to have claimed him as her property." The woman then spoke directly to Jessica. "You cannot force someone who is unfamiliar with this world to join your army. He could not handle the amount of pollution you produce over in your city."

"Then we'll let him decide," Jessica negotiated. "He can go with you if he so wishes; it's not like he'll be of any use to us."

"Very well," Yolda agreed, looking at Shunack. "Shunack, come with us. You do not want to become affiliated with the Ragna army."

Shunack stood in thought, listening as Jessica said her piece. "Don't go with them, Shunack. They are just fools who have surrendered to the Forest. Come with us and help us restore the world to it's natural state."

"Destroying the Forest will not return the world to normal!" Yolda argued, frustrated with Jessica. "Our city has proved that humans can live in harmony with the Forest!"

"The Forest don't co-exist with you, they are just toying with you!" Jessica shot back.

As the two argued about which side was the right side, Shunack tuned them out so he could think about which side he wanted to be on. He wanted to join the Ragna army and help rebuild the world to make up for his mistake in the past, however he did not have the physical strength to join such a strong nation of militants. But maybe he could learn something from Neutral City if he got to know them. Maybe there was truly a way of living in harmony with the Forest, or maybe he could grow stronger in the city of a harsher lifestyle, thus preparing him to join the Ragna army without looking like a weak being.

Coming to his conclusion, Shunack turned to face Yolda. "I suppose my only safe option is to join you," he said quietly, noticing Jessica's face of disgust out of the corner of his eye.

Yolda smiled calmly. "You made a wise choice, Shunack," she told him. "I can assure you that you will eventually grow to like Neutral City, as different as it may be to your time."

Now having calmed herself back down, Jessica decided to speak. "Join them if you wish, Shunack," she uttered, walking past Shunack to head back to Ragna with her unit. Before she left, she briefly stopped beside him, leaning in close to his ear. "If you ever find yourself thinking about joining us, you know where we are," she whispered before finally leaving.

Yolda and Hajan watched as Jessica and the troop left before turning their attention back to Shunack, seeing that the young man was thinking heavily, looking like he may have regretted his choice.

"Come," Yolda commanded, but not with a harsh tone. "I will find a place for you to stay. The people of Neutral City will welcome you warmly, unlike the people of Ragna."

Shunack just nodded, acknowledging what Yolda had said before Hajan startled him by slapping him on the back, chortling.

"You'll be fine, young man!" he grinned. "Sure it may be quite strange to you at first, but you'll grow to love Neutral City in a heartbeat!" Hajan then walked beside Yolda as Shunack stood still for a moment, partially because he was processing the pain in his back, before pacing after the pair.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	2. Chapter 2: The New World

**~Chapter 2: The New World~**

Shunack wandered into the city, looking around as people stopped and looked at him.

"He's not from around here..."

"Think he's from Ragna?"

"I've never seen him before in my life..."

As the people muttered to each other, Shunack was urged by Yolda and Hajan to not take much notice of the suspicious mumbles. It was difficult, but he managed to tune them out as he walked with the two elders. Eventually the whispers were no longer noticed by the young man as he focused more on the city around him. It didn't seem like a particularly safe or pleasant place to live.

Yolda eventually led Shunack to her main quarters. "Have a seat," she offered him as she sat at her desk.

Shunack looked to his left and right, then behind him, before concluding that there was no seat. Slowly and awkwardly, Shunack sat himself down on the floor.

"Now then," Yolda began. "What kind of time did you come from? Do you have any idea how long ago you went to sleep?"

"I don't know how long I was asleep for," answered Shunack. "Do you know?"

"I'm afraid all records from your time were destroyed," Yolda admitted.

"Oh," Shunack sighed, looking down. To think that the time he came from had been completely forgotten about...

"What was it like?" Yolda asked him, causing Shunack to look up. Shunack was silent, trying to think of a way to describe the past to the new generation. But then he could only remember his past...

...

 _"Shunack!"_

 _The young man turned around to face a woman with chocolate brown hair, her honey coloured eyes fixed upon him with an evident twinkle of happiness._

 _Shunack smiled warmly as the young woman approached him. "I never thought I'd catch you hanging out in a place like this," she admitted. "It's a lovely day today though, wouldn't you agree?"_

 _"That's why I'm outside having some fresh air," Shunack responded, gesturing to the surrounding area which was a park covered with grass and cherry blossom trees._

 _The woman giggled softly before continuing to speak. "Shouldn't you be working?"_

 _"It's my day off," Shunack answered simply._

 _Playfully, the woman punched his shoulder. "You should have called me! We could have gone to the tea garden or something!" she scolded, even though she was clearly laughing._

 _"I thought you wanted to spend time with your friends," Shunack said honestly._

 _"Yeah, I was actually waiting for them in town," the woman explained. "But they haven't showed up yet. So I came here to get some fresh air and then I found you."_

 _"You should go back into town if that's where you said you'd meet them," Shunack stated blatantly._

 _"It's fine, I did tell them that I might wander off before they get there," the woman assured. "So I told them to message me if I wasn't there, telling me to "GET MY BUTT OVER THERE", you know?" She let out a slight chuckle at her own joke, which Shunack rolled his eyes at, despite smiling slightly. The woman then grasped Shunack's wrist, causing him to look confused. "Why don't you come and hang out with us?" she offered._

 _"What?" Shunack could only say in response, not prepared for the offer._

 _"You haven't spoken to the girls in a while! They'd love to see you again!" the young female chirped._

 _"I think it's best if I just let you have a "girls only" day..." Shunack stated, deliberately refusing to go._

 _"Oh, come on, it's not like they're gonna bite your head off!" the woman laughed, running through the park and heading back to the town. Shunack frowned as he was dragged along. The last time he spent time with the group just resulted in the same old girly questions and conversations._

 _"So, how's the relationship going?"_

 _"How long have you been together?"_

 _"Do you plan on having kids some day?"_

 _"Why don't you take her out for a fancy dinner some day?"_

 _"Hey, you should let us do your hair one day!"_

 _"You should spend more time with your girlfriend!"_

 _Oh, what horrors awaited him this time?_

...

"Shunack?"

Shunack looked up quickly, not realising how long he had been sat in silence for. He saw that Yolda was still sat where she was, wearing a face of concern.

"I can understand if you don't want to talk about it," she sympathised with him. Shunack remained silent, looking back down at the floor. It was only now that he had realised that everything he had once loved had been lost. Forgotten. And it was all because of him.

"If you ever wish to spend time alone, you will have my permission at all times," Yolda assured him. "But you must not venture into the Forest or the city of Ragna. Understood?"

"Understood," Shunack responded quietly, not taking his eyes off the floor. Yolda was well aware that he was emotionally traumatized right now, so she decided to stand up.

"I'll leave you in peace for a while," she said. "Feel free to explore the city. Perhaps you could acquaint yourself with some of the citizens and our way of life."

"I'll do my best," Shunack replied honestly, his voice barely audible. Yolda glanced at him briefly before nodding to him and leaving the room, last telling him that she would check on him later.

For a few minutes Shunack simply sat there, staring at the floor. His face expressed various emotions, consisting of sorrow, confusion and anger. Finally he decided to settle himself down, rising up to his feet. Sitting there in grief was only going to make him feel worse, so he concluded that exploring the city at his own pace would take his mind off things.

Shunack stepped outside, looking aroung warily. Despite Yolda's reassuring words, he still felt quite out of place. After all, he was three hundred years older than everyone else in the city.

Some children ran past, laughing happily. In all honesty Shunack was concerned for their safety, considering that this city was quite high up. However, he saw just how agile they were, realising that humanity had changed and had evolved to live in these kinds of conditions.

Shunack walked for a little longer before entering a cafe. It was full of rowdy men all laughing and shouting. In his mind Shunack told himself that humans clearly hadn't evolved that much in the space of three hundred years.

"Can I help you, sir?" asked a young waitress, softly spoken. Shunack hesitated to respond for a moment, not wanting to come across as similar to the other men.

"Um..." he began awkwardly. He could hear the rude and disgraceful jeers of some of the men to this waitress and the other waitresses, disgusted. That's when he had an idea. "You know, it seems awfully crowded in here. Is there anything I could do to help out?"

"Huh?" the waitress gasped. It wasn't every day someone came in and asked to help out, though it had happened every now and then.

Shunack smiled to make himself look less intimidating. "You don't have to worry about paying me or returning the favour."

"I... I guess you could take peoples' orders," the waitress stuttered. "I-It'd be pretty helpful right now..."

"I'm glad to be of assistance," Shunack responded, still with his kind smile. He walked off and got to work.

...

Hours later, Shunack was sat by one of the tables, worn out. Thankfully the cafe was now quiet with only a small number of people eating and drinking.

The same waitress he had spoken to came over with a glass of water, placing it down on the table in front of him shyly. Shunack looked up at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Y-You said that you didn't need to be paid back..." she started to explain shyly. "B-But I thought you should at least have something so... I decided to give you some water..."

"...Thank you," Shunack thanked, staring at the glass of water intensely. The waitress noticed his stare, concerned.

"Are you alright?" she asked him. Shunack looked up at her, snapping out of his daze.

"I'm fine," he replied, sipping the water briefly. The waitress stared at him for a moment with a curious expression before sitting in front of him.

"My name's Nori," the waitress introduced, smiling sweetly.

Surprised that she had actually introduced herself, Shunack smiled back at her, proud that he had succeeded in acquainting himself with someone. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Nori," he responded. "My name is Shunack."

"Shunack? That's an interesting name," Nori stated her opinion, mainly to herself. "So, Shunack, are you new here?"

This question made Shunack realise that Nori must have been speaking with the other waitresses and possibly some of the customers earlier on, with each person confirming that they had never seen him before. "Well... I suppose you could say that," Shunack answered slowly. "It's a long story."

"Could you tell me some other time?" Nori requested. Again Shunack was surprised, but he chuckled.

"Of course," he promised her, sipping his water once again.

...

 _Thud. Thud. Thud._

"The man is dangerous!" cried Berui.

"He wants to destroy the Forest!" added Zerui.

Yolda stood before the Druids calmly. "I can assure you that Shunack will cause you no harm," she told them confidently.

"He comes from the past!" Berui's whisper echoed.

"He seeks to bring his past back to life!" Zerui extended.

"You must sacrifice that man to the Forest!" Berui announced.

"I will do no such thing," Yolda clarified, narrowing her eyes. "Perhaps now Shunack may be in a state of confusion, but he will soon come to realise that humanity and the Forest can live in harmony."

"He is dangerous!" Berui repeated.

"His awakening has disturbed the Forest!" Zerui wailed.

 _Thud. Thud. Thud._

Annoyed, Yolda continued to defend Shunack. "If you give him time to adjust to our way of life then he may prove himself to be quite a remarkable young man with much potential," she explained. "He could discover more cities which have been buried and provide more people with homes. After all, with him being from the past he should have a decent level of knowledge as to where certain cities are located."

 _Thud. Thud. Thud._

"His only goal is to destroy the Forest!"

"He can never abandon his past!"

"The man must be disposed of at all costs!"

"He cannot live in this world! He must go with the rest of his past!"

"Listen to me when I say this!" Yolda commanded. "Shunack will not cause you any harm as long as he remains under my supervision in Neutral City. That is something I can promise you. However, should he turn his back on Neutral City, then you are free to deal with him as you please. But I can assure you that there is little chance of him turning his back on us."

"You believe that the man can move on from his past?" Berui asked her.

"Yes," Yolda answered with confidence.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	3. Chapter 3: Standing Out

**~Chapter 3: Standing Out~**

Shunack was sat outside once night had fallen, staring up at the starry night sky. In the 'house' behind him he could hear the hearty laughs of Hajan and his family, the ones he had been told to stay with temporarily. Hajan was telling some ridiculous and exaggerated story which his wife and children were laughing at. Shunack would have smiled, but he was too focused on the fact that he was alone. His friends, family, co-workers and girlfriend... gone. There was nobody for him to sit and joke with anymore. Even if he did get closer to some of the people of this era, he would never feel the same homely atmosphere. Not in this kind of world where the Forest swallowed people whole.

As the troubled man sat there lost in his thoughts, Hajan came outside to check on him. "You doing alright out here, Shunack?" he asked, causing Shunack to briefly turn and look at him.

"...I'm fine," he eventually answered, turning back around before he spoke.

"It's getting late," Hajan told him. "Not to mention just how cold it is. You should come inside."

With a some slight hesitation, Shunack arose to his feet. "Very well," he agreed, heading into the house, his eyes focused on the floor. Hajan watched him enter before following him inside.

The family acknowledged Shunack's presence, but decided not to bother him when he sat in the corner of the room, keeping to himself. The two children retired to their rooms while Hajan stayed up with his wife.

"Shunack," Hajan eventually called, once again snapping the man from his thoughts. "You sleeping in here tonight?"

"I suppose I have nowhere else to go," Shunack responded. "It's no trouble, is it?"

Hajan smiled. "Not at all," he assured, standing up. "Make yourself comfortable, but don't trash anything in here, okay?"

"I won't," Shunack promised.

"I'll see you in the morning," Hajan smiled before heading off with his wife. Shunack stayed sat up in the corner of the room he was in, not quite ready to go to sleep. He was still processing the world around him, but every time he felt as if he was getting used to certain little things, he'd instantly be haunted by something from his past.

 _..._

 _"Sir! The trees! They're heading right for the Earth!" shouted one of the researchers._

 _Dr. Sakul noticed the incoming attack, but there was no time to react to what was going on. The woodland beast had already attacked the planet, and the moon had split in half._

 _Shunack watched the screens with horror before feeling the lab quake horrendously. He clung onto a control panel like many other scientists, watching helplessly as some of them fell over. The control panel malfunctioned and sparked, causing Shunack to let go and fall back harshly while few scientists stayed clinging to it, ultimately being electrocuted. The screens collapsed and smashed on the floor, some researchers being injured from the falling objects._

 _"Everyone! We need to evacuate now!" Dr. Sakul yelled after he had managed to get back on his feet. No scientist thought twice about his words, including Shunack, as they all scrambled for the exit. While forcing himself through the shaking building, Shunack pulled out his raban in an attempt to contact his fiance, Shika._

 _"There's no time for that!" one researcher yelled at him, forcing him to keep moving. Shunack was tempted to argue back, but realising the situation he was in, he decided not to._

 _..._

"Damn it..." Shunack rasped to himself, sounding hateful. He lied on his side and faced the wall, deciding to force himself to sleep.

...

The next morning, Shunack had decided to go for a walk by himself. He needed some time alone.

Yolda approached him, looking as though she had actually been searching for him. "How was your night, Shunack?" she queried.

Shunack stopped and turned to face her. "Oh," he sounded before answering her question. "It was alright."

Yolda smiled. "I hope Hajan didn't bother you too much."

"Don't worry, he didn't," Shunack chuckled, understanding that Yolda was joking.

"How was yesterday in general?" Yolda continued to question.

"It went better than I thought it would go," Shunack answered, a somewhat childlike proudness taking over him. "I didn't get up to much, but I managed to help out in a cafeteria not far from here. The only person I spoke to properly was a waitress named Nori."

Yolda chuckled. "You seem proud of your actions," she noticed. "I see you have a good heart."

The words made Shunack feel complimented, but he for some reason did not want to accept the compliment. So he just stood there in silence and turned his attention to the distant deserts which could be seen from Neutral City. Yolda picked up on his strange and awkward behaviour, letting out a quiet sigh.

"It's best if you go easier on yourself today," she instructed. "Just look around the town. Try not to put anymore pressure on yourself."

"I'll avoid it as much as I can," Shunack responded honestly, turning to continue his walk.

"Oh, and Shunack," Yolda began, stopping him from walking. There was a quick pause before she continued to speak. "Stay well away from the Forest."

Shunack stared back at her with a confused expression since he had already been warned about the Forest before, but decided to not point out that fact as he nodded to her. "I will. You have my word." With that, Shunack turned and carried on maundering. Yolda watched him leave before heading off herself.

Completely lost in thought during his walk, Shunack realised that he had wandered into the marketplace. He stopped in his tracks and gazed at the sight, observing as people traded water for other goods. Nobody seemed to be using money at all, baffling the man from the past.

Behind him, two men wearing discreet red marched over. Shunack was unaware of their presence until they pushed past him roughly, knocking him onto his front as they chortled. The younger man growled quietly, watching as they carried on with their casual stroll.

"Hey," he said as he got up to his feet. "You should watch where you're going."

The two men stopped and scowled back at him.

"If you were up to date with this era you'd know not to talk to men like us in such a way," one spat.

"He'd know if he had just gone back with Colonel Jessica," the other one grumbled as the two headed off further into the marketplace.

Shunack narrowed his eyes at the men until they were no longer in his view. As a man who once worked in a respectful position for Dr. Sakul he was not known to fight or cause trouble, so decided to keep his dignity despite the people of this time having no idea who that man was.

Deciding to carry on ambling through the marketplace, Shunack was once again greeted with stares and murmurs coming from those who noticed him. Either that or he would hear some people talking about "a man from the past" without noticing that he was there.

Ignoring the conversations which were obviously about him, Shunack walked through the marketplace and decided to make his leave. He stopped when he realised that he was standing by the bridge which led to Ragna.

 _"If you ever find yourself thinking about joining us, you know where we are."_

Shunack stared at the city, remembering Jessica's words. Indeed he was tempted to walk along the bridge to the city as it was similar to a city one would find from his time, but again he wasn't keen on the military. Not to mention just how hostile the Ragna soldiers seemed to be compared to the people of Neutral City.

"Shunack!" came a voice which snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned around, seeing the waitress from yesterday.

"I didn't expect you to be hanging around in this area," she smiled. Shunack's eyes widened.

 _"I never thought I'd catch you hanging out in a place like this."_

"...I was... I was just having a walk," Shunack answered slowly, still trapped in his memories, slowly managing to break free from their haunting grip.

"You should be careful," Nori warned. "That bridge leads to Ragna. The people from Ragna aren't very nice."

"So I've heard," Shunack added as he stared at the distant city.

"I heard that they awakened a man from the past," Nori informed. Shunack turned and looked at her oddly, but then looked back at the city.

"Deliberately?" he asked.

"I think they found him by accident," Nori theorized. "But they woke him up because they thought he would help them, but apparently he's in Neutral City."

"Huh," Shunack sounded as he stood there thoughtfully. Silence filled the air before Nori spoke again.

"So, where did you come from?" she asked.

"Come again?" Shunack reacted, turning around to face her.

"You said that when we next met up you would tell me where you came from," Nori reminded him. "Did you come from Ragna?"

Shunack stared at her, thinking of how to word his story to her. He made various sounds as he hesitated before finally managing to get some words out of his system. "The man you speak of," he began after a large sigh. "The man from the past. That man... is me."

Nori's eyes widened. "Wait... _you're_ the man who was found in a glowing box?" she gasped. Shunack nodded.

"That is correct," he answered. This caused an awkward silence between the two as Nori tried to process what Shunack had just told her.

"I see..." was all she could say, her voice quiet and shy.

Shunack noticed that she was now acting differently. "Do you see me differently now that I've told you that I'm from the past?" he asked, causing Nori to jump slightly.

"No! I'm just surprised to hear what you told me, that's all!" she yelped. Shunack didn't seem convinced, turning around to face the other way.

"I'm heading back to the centre of the town," he announced as he started walking. "You should really be working."

"The cafe isn't too crowded today," Nori responded. "Besides, I'm on a break."

"Hmph," Shunack huffed, not halting to listen to her. Nori watched as he left, letting out a small sigh as she went back to where the cafe was.

...

Shunack came to a stop when he found a secluded area, sitting down on the floor. He removed his raban from his wrist and activated it, pulling it so that it switched into it's phone form. He pressed a button, sending out a signal to his mother's raban. He sat there with his raban to his ear, hoping to hear her voice as she answered the call. What would she say if she answered it? It was likely that she'd be annoyed, demanding to know what Shunack was up to and why he was gone.

 _"Your father is worried sick! Why weren't you answering your raban?!"_

 _"Didn't you say that you were coming over with Shika for dinner? You said you'd be here over an hour ago!"_

 _"Are you working late again? How many times must we tell you to stop putting yourself under so much pressure?"_

There was no answer to the call, just the "call back later" message which everyone received when the person they were calling was not able to answer their raban. Tears began to well up ever so slightly in his eyes as the raban instructed Shunack to leave a message. After a bleeping sound was made, Shunack sat in silence as he tried not to let his emotions get the better of him. After about four seconds, Shunack began to speak.

"H...Hello... mother..." he began shakily, his voice soft. "I...It's me... Shunack..." The black haired man chuckled a little. "I've woken up in a strange place... The Forest is alive here... Isn't that... strange...?" Shunack took in a deep breath before continuing to speak. "D... Don't be worrying about me... I'm sure... that I will... see you again... one day... Don't forget... to make me some coffee when I get back... and give father my love..." Some tears had finally managed to escape his tear ducts. "I love you, mother... I'll see you... soon... ...Bye..."

With a shaky hand Shunack ended the call, slowly clipping the raban back around his wrist. He hyperventilated tearfully before holding his knees close, burying his face within them as he cried the tears of a true mourner.

...

"Hey, Yolda, have you seen Shunack?" asked Hajan. "I haven't seen him for a while."

"He went to go and spend some time alone," Yolda answered him plainly.

"How much alone time does a guy need?" Hajan questioned.

"What you and I need to remember is that he's having a really hard time right now," Yolda reminded. "Everyone he knew is dead. What's worse is that he has nothing left of his world. There are no records of any kind for him to even look at. Imagine if you or I awoke in a strange new world like he did."

"I suppose you have a point," Hajan agreed. "But do you not... worry about him?"

"Of course I do," Yolda replied. "The Forest is unhappy with his awakening because it believes that he is dangerous."

Hajan chuckled a little. "He's about as dangerous as my daughter," he joked. "I'm sure that soon he will abandon his past."

"You think exactly as I do," Yolda smiled.

...

Shunack made his way through the town with an empty expression on his face, having finished with his breakdown. His eyes were fixed on the woodland at the other end of another bridge. As if in a trance, Shunack ambled across the bridge without taking his eyes off the Forest. The reason he was heading to the Forest was because of the Stayfield. Surely there were others like him still in there...

But as Shunack approached the Forest, he immediately discovered that he was not welcome. As he stepped closer to the opening which led to the Stayfield, he was attacked by thorned vines.

"What the...?!" Shunack exclaimed as the vines wrapped around his wrists and ankles, lifting him up. He thrashed here and there in an attempt to escape as the plants took on a dragon-like form. Shunack's blue eyes widened as the creature shot towards him, bracing for the deathly impact. But nothing came.

Shunack looked and saw Hajan wrestling the plant beast while Yolda cut Shunack free. "Run now," she told him calmly. "We'll handle this."

At first Shunack seemed worried for them, but decided to take the offer. He ran as fast as he could, running back across the bridge and into Neutral City once again.

...

 _Shunack, Dr. Sakul and various other scientists were underground, hiding away from the hostile Forest. Everyone seemed tired as they panted and coughed, all except for Shunack. Shunack was focused on being tired for a mere few seconds before getting straight up to his feet. Another scientist grabbed his arm._

 _"You can't go out there," he warned him._

 _Shunack scowled. "My parents are still out there, and so is my fiance," he snarled, harshly pulling his arm away. "I'm going to get to them whether you like it or not."_

 _The scientist looked sad for him, looking down and letting out a sigh. "Shunack... Your family... and Shika... Everyone..." he began hesitantly before looking Shunack in the eye. "They're dead."_

 _Shunack's pupils shrunk, but he refused to believe what he had just been told. "You don't know that," he hissed. "They might be taking shelter like we are."_

 _"Even if they are, you won't be able to find them!" the scientist countered angrily._

 _"I'll call them!" Shunack yelled back, opening up his raban. He tried to call Shika._

 _That's when the place started to crumble._

 _"The ground above is collapsing!" another researcher announced loudly as the others jumped to their feet._

 _Dr. Sakul growled. "Everyone, follow me," he commanded. "I have an emergency operation which we may still be able to access."_

...

Shunack was once again sat in the corner of Hajan's home, staring at the floor.

 _'Mother... Father... Shika... Dr. Sakul...'_ Shunack thought, naming all of the people he had lost. He listed every single person he had known in his entire life. But then a glimmer of hope filled his mind. He remembered being put into Stayfield hibernation, recalling that there were many others who had been put into hibernation. Now he was certain that there were others still waiting to be awakened, so he planned to go on a search with the aid of Hajan.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	4. Chapter 4: Evident Foes

**~Chapter 4: Evident Foes~**

"Hajan!" Shunack called, running outside. He had woken up later than everyone else due to staying up late. "I need your help with something!"

The elder man turned to face him. "Help? With what?" he asked.

"I need you to help me return to the Stayfield," Shunack answered, being as straight forward as possible.

"You mean that thing you were found in?" Hajan guessed. "Why do you wanna go back there? Don't tell me you want to go back to sleep."

"No, that's not why I'm going back," Shunack responded. "I know for a fact that I wasn't the only one who was put to sleep. If you could help me get back down there..."

"Look, we're not prepared to take on an army of people from the past," Hajan admitted. "Having you around isn't bad at all, but if it turns out that sixty people are asleep in this Stayfield of yours then Yolda's gonna have a problem. The city could end up crowded."

"Can we at least go and see if there are still people there?" Shunack requested. "Maybe waking them all up will be a problem, but one day we could extend the city and increase the population of mankind."

Hajan thought about this for a moment. "Hm... I like you're thinking, but it's too dangerous," he concluded. "The Forest is... complicated."

"I know," Shunack replied. "But surely you can go through the Forest since you're enhanced."

"That's not how it works," Hajan corrected before letting out a heavy sigh. "Shunack, there is still so much for you to learn about our world. Once you manage to settle here in Neutral City, Yolda will tell you about everything else. She'll tell you about the Forest and about Ragna. But for now just try and get used to life here."

"...Alright," Shunack responded quietly. Hajan smiled.

"Don't be so down, boy. You'll soon love it here," he assured. "Now do me a favour and trade two buckets of water for some bread at the marketplace, okay?"

"Okay then," Shunack answered, allowing Hajan to leave. He didn't mind doing chores as he believed that they would help him get used to life in Neutral City, so without any thought or hesitation he picked up two buckets and walked out to fetch some water.

...

 _"Shunack, get to the Stayfield!" yelled a white-haired scientist._

 _"Not yet!" Shunack yelled back, heading in an opposite direction. The other scientist grabbed him by the arm._

 _"It's now or never, Shunack!" he barked._

 _"Shika is still out there!" Shunack shot back at him. "I'm not going to the Stayfield without her!"_

 _"She's dead, Shunack!" the scientist hollered. There was a silence between the two before the scientist continued. "She's dead! And so is my girlfriend! All of our families are dead!"_

 _"Stop... You're wrong..." Shunack wavered, clenching his fists._

 _"You have to accept the fact that everyone you care about is dead!" the other researcher snapped. "The only ones still alive are us researchers and Dr Sakul's daughter! We have to enter the Stayfield so that we can awaken when the Forest is less hostile!"_

 _"That time will never come, Lynia!" Shunack argued angrily. "It's now or never if we want to fight the Forest! At least we could save the people we love if we do it now rather than if we do it in the future! We could activate E.S.T.O.C. and-"_

 _A harsh slap across the face interrupted Shunack's speech, silencing him. The sound caused an echo, and then there was silence._

 _The two researchers stared at each other, tense, before Lynia decided to speak._

 _"Don't be such a fool," he growled. "E.S.T.O.C. would do more destruction than reconstruction. We would bring an end to both mankind and the Forest, and without the Forest there would be no oxygen or water. We need to think of a better solution than just destroying the surface of the planet."_

 _Shunack stared at his colleague with anger, holding his reddened cheek. He was silent._

 _Lynia let out a sigh. "Shunack. Don't be stood there thinking that you're the only one grieving," he said rather softly. "I too have lost my loved ones. The last time I saw Lolita was when I told her I would meet her in the city centre after I had finished work. Now she's dead. Like millions of other people are. We are humanity's last hope. One day we can change things for everyone, even if we do have to sleep for centuries."_

 _"...You're right," Shunack eventually agreed, sounding solemn. "One day there will be a solution..."_

 _Lynia smiled. "That's the Shunack we all looked up to," he chuckled. "Now come on, we have a future to travel to."_

...

Shunack had now filled up both of his buckets with water from the spring, his arms being dragged down by their weight as he slowly made his way to the marketplace.

Eventually the young man arrived at the marketplace, dropping the two buckets of water once he had reached the bread stall, panting heavily. "One... One loaf of bread... please..." he panted.

"Here you go," replied the man who ran the stall, wearing discreet red like the other men Shunack had encountered.

"Thanks..." Shunack thanked, still panting.

"Not used to carrying buckets of water, huh?" the man guessed.

"How could you tell...?" Shunack asked.

The man chuckled. "I saw you practically dragging yourself here," he described. "I've only seen that kind of look when kids try carrying buckets of water."

"Right..." Shunack could only say, gaining back some of his breath. "Anyway, thanks for the bread..."

"See you later," the man last said as Shunack walked away slowly with the bread under one of his arms.

Once Shunack was gone, the man turned to two other men wearing the same red as he was. He simply nodded once and the two men stood up, walking after Shunack.

Shunack stopped to take a breath once leaving the marketplace completely. He was ashamed that he grew tired so easily just by carrying some buckets of water. However, Shunack stopped panting when he heard two pairs of footsteps coming from behind, not wanting to appear as a weakling to anyone. Shunack was about to turn around, but before he could, he felt his arms being clasped by two hands in a firm grip, pulling his hands behind his back and causing him to drop the bread he was carrying.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" he snapped through gritted teeth, struggling against the tight grip. He saw that it was a man wearing the same red he had seen before. Shunack then looked in front of him, seeing another man wearing the same clothes. The man smirked.

"Colonel Jessica wants a word with you," he said before punching Shunack in the temple as hard as he could, knocking him unconscious instantly.

...

The sun was starting to set as night took over. Hajan was stood outside of his home as his son, Cain, came out to see him.

"Hey dad, it's getting late," Cain told him. "Mom wants you to come inside now."

"Shunack should have been back by now..." Hajan quietly responded. "I'm starting to get worried."

"Maybe he's gone somewhere else for the night," Cain shrugged.

"...Maybe," Hajan agreed, though he still wasn't too sure. He decided to go inside with his son, confused as to why Shunack would have gone somewhere else when he didn't know anyone too well and also since he had the loaf of bread.

...

Nori was lying in her bed. She hadn't seen Shunack all day. Of course she wasn't particularly worried, but she hadn't seen him anywhere at all. In fact, Nori thought that she may have made him uncomfortable by causing him to reveal the fact that he was the man from the past.

Tired, Nori decided to let out a sigh. She planned on eating that loaf of bread which she had found on the floor earlier for breakfast in the morning.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	5. Chapter 5: Captive

**~Chapter 5: Captive~**

"Yolda, I haven't seen Shunack all night," Hajan informed the representative. "Did he stay with you or something?"

"No, he did not," Yolda responded, turning to face him with a concerned look. "When did you last see him?"

"It was practically still the morning hours," Hajan answered. "He was talking to me about returning to the Stayfield before I sent him to trade some water for a loaf of bread. After that, he didn't return."

"I see..." Yolda muttered to herself. "So he was inquiring about the Stayfield... No doubt he went back to where he was awoken from..."

"But surely the Druids would have caught him," Hajan countered. "They would have got our attention, too."

"Maybe Shunack was able to sneak through the forest without being detected," Yolda guessed. "It may seem unlikely, but where else could he have gone?"

"You have a point there..." Hajan acknowledged.

"I will go to the forest and see if there are any traces of him," Yolda planned. "You should go and look around the city in case there are other traces of him. Perhaps you could visit places he is likely to have been to, such as the market."

"Alright," Hajan agreed. "I'll ask some of the citizens if they've seen him, too."

"I'll leave that to you then," Yolda last said before walking off, heading towards the forest. Hajan proceeded to search the town.

...

Nori had eaten a slice of bread for breakfast which she had roasted over the fire. She had started walking to work, as she usually did. That's when she noticed Hajan talking to people she knew, looking concerned.

"Are you okay there, Hajan?" she asked him once she had walked over.

"I'm doing just fine," Hajan replied. "Though Shunack seems to have disappeared. You know him, don't you?"

"Yes!" Nori gasped, sounding horrified. "He's vanished?!"

"It seems so," Hajan admitted. "So I guess you haven't seen him at all?"

"I didn't see him at all yesterday..." Nori answered.

Hajan let out a sigh. "I sent him to the marketplace to fetch some bread for the family. After that, he never returned."

"Bread?" Nori questioned. "Strange... I found a whole loaf of bread on the way home yesterday once I had finished work... It was just on the floor on this quiet path..."

Hajan's eyes widened before he relaxed himself again. "I see..." he acknowledged, noting this down in his head. "That has to have been the loaf of bread Shunack got at the market... But if he dropped it he would have picked it up..."

"Well, he is from the past..." Nori reminded. "Maybe it was okay to drop food back then."

"Who knows?" Hajan responded, shrugging. "It's not safe to assume that he left it due to his past-world manners. I'm gonna keep looking for him."

"Good luck," Nori wished him, proceeding to walk to work. She was slightly worried for Shunack but didn't let it get to her that much.

...

 _"Shunack? How long will you be staying at work today? You won't be working overtime again, will you?"_

 _"Not tonight. I'll be back in time for tea."_

 _"Promise?"_

 _"I promise."_

Shunack slowly opened his eyes painfully, resisting the urge to groan with discomfort. His new surrounding was nothing alike to Neutral City's atmosphere. It was dark and metallic, the metal being coloured either red or dark grey. The room itself felt rather warm, but not in a comfortable way. The smell was just metal combined with some other industrial smells, unlike the fresh air in Neutral City which smelt natural and clean. The low hum of distant machinery could be heard not far from the small room Shunack was in.

After a few moments of coming to his senses, Shunack attempted to stand up, only to discover that his hands were cuffed behind his back, also cuffing him to the chair he was sitting on. He stared at the cuffs in confusion before narrowing his eyes ever so slightly. That's when he heard the heavy metallic door open, causing him to turn his head quickly to look at who was entering. Of course, the one to enter first was no one other than Colonel Jessica as she was followed by two other Ragna soldiers.

"You're awake," she pointed out blankly. "Took your time."

"What do you want from me?" Shunack asked, a slightly threatening tone evident in his voice. "I am of no use to you."

Jessica narrowed her eyes at him, already seeming annoyed or angered by his words. "Don't try to deceive me. I know you're lying about that."

"I have no military skills. Neutral City has no secrets to tell you. My skills from the past are useless here because of the drastic changes," Shunack listed.

"When we discovered you in that box we found a piece of paper in your hand," Jessica explained. "We took it from you when you freaked out."

Shunack didn't remember 'freaking out'. However, he was aware that people who wake up from a stasis slumber do briefly relive their final conscious moment before they were put to sleep.

"Here on the note it says: 'Remember the Forest's weakness'," Jessica read. "You are clearly hiding something. You know how to destroy the Forest. Tell us how to at once or else I will make you suffer unbearable torture for long periods of time."

Shunack stared up at her with wide eyes.

...

 _Thud. Thud. Thud._

Yolda was in the Forest, having discovered that Shunack had not been there at all. She wore a face of calm concern when hearing the three taps of the Druids' staffs.

"The man you seek!" whispered Berui.

"The man you seek is in danger!" Zerui extended.

"Danger?" Yolda questioned, her eyes widening ever so slightly. "Where is he?"

"He will tell them!" Berui cried.

"He knows how to destroy the Forest!" Zerui added.

"What do you mean?" Yolda demanded. "Are you talking about Ragna?"

"They want to know!" Berui replied.

"He will give in!" revealed Zerui.

"Shunack would do no such thing!" Yolda confirmed with confidence. "I must inform Hajan of this immediately..."

...

Jessica's fist was buried deep into Shunack's cheek, knocking his head to the side. Before he could recover after the punch he was greeted with an uppercut, again delivered by the militant. He coughed a little but attempted to remain confident.

"Speak up!" Jessica ordered, kicking him in the gut. Shunack spluttered but maintained his hateful scowl as he panted breathlessly. He knew exactly what the note was about, and even though he agreed with destroying the Forest, he felt as if these aggressive people would use E.S.T.O.C. as their weapon rather than something to help restore the planet.

 _"Memory loss also can occur after being in the Stayfield for too long,"_ Lynia had told him just before the two entered their pods. _"I'd keep a note if I were you."_

Instead of telling Jessica what the note was about, Shunack continued to glare at her with hatred. He didn't want to give in to her.

"I said speak up, you foolish bastard!" Jessica snapped, punching him across the other side of his cheek.

...

 _Thud. Thud. Thud._

"He will give in!" Berui cried.

"The man will give in to the woman!" Zerui extended.

Yolda was running out of the Forest, searching for Hajan.

...

Jessica's foot planted into the centre of Shunack's face, the action being followed by the sound of something cracking. Shunack's nose had been broken, yet he still kept his mouth shut.

...

"He will tell the woman!" Berui announced.

"He will tell the woman of the sealed power!" Zerui added.

...

Yolda had reached Hajan, finding him in the town. Hajan noticed her, looking concerned. "What's the matter, Yolda? You found something?" he asked.

"Shunack... He's being held hostage!" Yolda revealed, for once sounding quite panicked. "The soldiers of Ragna have him! They're trying to make him reveal a secret which only someone like him would know..."

"Ragna, huh?" Hajan frowned. "We must save him! Fast!"

"If we don't do anything now, he could end up angering the Forest and causing a lot of destruction... No... He could start a war..." Yolda theorized. "Or if he doesn't say anything, he could end up being killed..."

"Let's go!" Hajan yelled, already having made the decision to run all the way to Ragna.

Yolda was unsure if Hajan's choice was a wise one, but realising that there was not enough time to come up with any other plan, she decided to run after him.

...

"Tell me how to destroy the Forest!" Jessica demanded, once again kicking Shunack, this time in his chest. He gasped for air as Jessica proceeded to then kick him in the stomach for a second time, winding him. Shunack coughed and spluttered, blood dribbling down his chin. His breathless pants were now extremely heavy, at times sounding like he was choking.

Jessica grabbed his face, forcing him to look up at her. "You're a stubborn man, aren't you?" she growled.

Shunack panted, managing to find the energy to speak. "I... will never... give in... to hooligans... like you...!" The young man spat in her face, knowing that this was all he could do to fight back. Jessica seemed stunned at his response, slowly wiping the saliva from her face. Shunack stared up at her, hiding the fact that he regretted what he had just done. He couldn't read the emotion in Jessica's eyes, though he assumed that the look was a mix between shocked and angry. Silently Jessica wiped the saliva along his face before slapping him as well. The sound of the slap echoed through the small room, followed by silence.

"...Never. Mess. With me." Jessica warned quietly, ending the silence. Shunack was staring away from her, looking at the floor. Jessica then stood back up to her full height, turning to the two soldiers. You two guard the room. I'll be back to deal with him later." With that, the three left the room and locked the door, Jessica walking off and the two soldiers standing outside as guards. Shunack remained where he was, staring at the floor blankly.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	6. Chapter 6: The Forest's Trust

**~Chapter 6: The Forest's Trust~**

Hajan and Yolda were both sprinting along the railway track, heading for the military union of Ragna. As they approached they were easily spotted by some soldiers, the soldiers immediately firing a flare to inform the rest of the army that there was a threat. Mechs were brought out to attack the two enhanced humans, but they were easily destroyed by the combined strength of the pair.

"We need to find out where Shunack is," Yolda told Hajan after the last mech had collapsed.

"I suppose smashing through every wall we find isn't the best idea," Hajan confirmed. "I think we should do things the easy way."

...

A soldier was patrolling a certain area of the city on his own. He stopped in his tracks when hearing a noise, aiming his rifle behind him. There was nothing.

"...Who's there?" he asked in a commanding tone of voice.

Silence.

Just as he had lowered his rifle he was suddenly kicked in the back, knocking him onto his front and causing him to drop his gun. The soldier was trying to reach for it before his hand was stepped on roughly. The man growled painfully, looking up at his attacker. It was Hajan.

"You...!" the soldier hissed, attempting to free himself. Hajan hoisted him up and held him against the iron wall.

"Alright, you," he began. "Where's Shunack?"

"I'm not telling you anything, you Forest freak!" the soldier snapped back. Yolda stood beside Hajan, looking calm yet confident.

"Nobody will come to your aid any time soon," she clarified. "I'd recommend answering him, unless you wish to be fed to the Forest."

"You'll do no such thing!" the soldier growled, reaching for a flare gun. Hajan pinned his arms above his head, preventing him from reaching the gun. The soldier growled, staring at Hajan with narrowed eyes.

"Tell us where Shunack is," Hajan demanded for a second time.

The soldier was silent as he stared with an angry expression. However, he decided to answer the older man's question.

"...He's being kept in Sector 7's lockdown bridge," he revealed.

"Hmph," Hajan responded, headbutting the soldier as hard as he could to knock him unconscious, dropping him on the floor before turning to Yolda. "You heard him. Let's make our way to Sector 7!"

...

Shunack could hear soldiers running past his cell, silently wondering what was going on. He didn't think much of it as he continued to stare at the ground, watching the blood from his face drip onto the metallic surface.

The black haired man was awoken from his daydreaming when he heard the sound of something slamming into a metal wall not far from his cell. Followed by the noise was the sound of some soldiers shouting and shooting their guns, but then they yelled out in what sounded like pain. Then there was nothing but silence.

Shunack stared at the cell door, listening out for more possible sounds. Secretly he was worried about what was going on just outside of his cell. That was when the door was punched off its hinges. Shunack flinched out of instinct, soon looking up to see what had entered the room. He felt himself relax in a relieved manner upon seeing that Yolda had walked into the room with Hajan at her side.

"What the heck have they done to you?" Hajan asked, growling a little as he removed Shunack's handcuffs. He held Shunack's arm over his shoulder in order to support him, seeing that the younger man was unable to stand on his own without losing his balance. "We need to get you outta here."

"We will have to be quick," Yolda stated.

"Right," Hajan nodded, deciding to hoist Shunack onto his back. The young man just looked as if he was going to pass out at any moment. Hajan, while holding Shunack by his legs to make sure he didn't fall off his back, sprinted out of the room as Yolda ran behind him.

The trio had managed to run through the sector without much hassle, but once they had made it back outside they were instantly being targetted by weapons.

Colonel Jessica stood on top of one of the military tanks. "Fire!" she yelled, signalling for the tanks and armed soldiers to shoot at the three.

"Hold your breath," Hajan told Shunack as they dodged two grenades fired from the tanks. Shunack did as he was told without questioning it. The bullets from the guns exploded, releasing a purple tranquilizer gas. Hajan and Yolda also held their breaths, running through the purple clouds and heading for the exit.

Military tanks blocked the city's exit, aiming at Hajan, Yolda and Shunack. Hajan and Yolda did not stop running. "Hold on tight!" Hajan instructed Shunack, feeling the younger man tighter his grip ever so slightly. Hajan then hopped high into the air, Yolda doing the same. They both landed on the tanks, but before anyone could do anything, they hopped off them and sprinted along the bridge, heading back to Neutral City.

Jessica was watching through her binoculars, observing as the trio made their escape. She grit her teeth as she lowered the binoculars. "Dismiss the attack," she ordered one of the soldiers. "Next time we encounter them, they're dead."

...

As they got closer to Neutral City Yolda and Hajan had stopped running, slowing down to a walk. Shunack's expression was empty as he still lay on Hajan's back, eyes half-closed.

Cain had been waiting at the end of the bridge with his younger sister Minka, standing up happily as he saw his father return safely. "Dad! You're okay!" he cheered happily.

Hajan stopped, surprised to see his two children standing there before he smiled warmly. "Of course I'm okay, son. You know you're good ol' dad," he chuckled. "Where's your mother?"

"She's at home," Cain answered. "But she's worried about you."

"Oh dear..." Hajan sighed, not wanting to have worried his wife. He turned to Yolda. "I'll take Shunack back with me."

"No," Yolda denied. "I think he'd be better off staying with me while he recovers. Besides, it sounds like you have family issues to sort out."

"Right..." Hajan responded, looking down at his two children. "You two head on home. Tell your mother I'll be there soon. I just need to take Shunack to Yolda's place."

"Okay!" Cain replied, running off. Minka ran after him.

Hajan and Yolda both made there way to Yolda's home, walking in a relaxed manner to ease their powers due to having used them a little too much earlier.

"How's Agashi?" Hajan decided to ask at some point during the walk.

"He's fine," Yolda answered. "But I fear that soon his transformation into a tree will begin to take effect."

Hajan let out a sigh. "He has used up a lot of power in his time..." he recalled.

"But he did use his power for the good of this town," Yolda reminded. "After all, it was he who worked the hardest to build Neutral City..."

"Yeah... Can't forget that..." Hajan chuckled softly.

The two then entered the office building which also served as Yolda's home. Hajan lay the almost-unconscious Shunack on a spare bed in one of Yolda's unused rooms.

"I hope he recovers well..." Hajan wished quietly.

"I'll do the best I can to make sure he recovers," Yolda assured. "Though I can't guarantee that he will be perfectly fine within the space of a few days."

"Right," Hajan nodded in understanding.

Shunack listened as the two conversed, staring up at the cracked ceiling. He gently touched his nose, hissing in pain at the tenderness. The young man decided to just lay there for a while before closing his eyes, letting his dreams take over.

...

It had been a month. Shunack had barely spoken a word to anybody, having become extremely distant. Yolda watched as he sat just outside of her home, looking as if he was in deep thought. Yolda looked quite sympathetic and worried, understanding that he was probably traumatized.

Hajan had walked over to her, standing by her side. "How is he?" he asked.

"He seems to have recovered a little," Yolda described. "But he's still distant. I'm not sure if his experience will make him hate Ragna... or hate this whole world."

"We'll just have to wait and see," Hajan admitted.

As the two stood and talked, Shunack remained where he was. He was still having trouble breathing due to his broken nose. Yolda had wrapped his entire chest with bandages, leaving him shirtless while he wore them to make breathing easier.

Two children ran past Shunack, laughing playfully before the younger child tripped up. Immediately Shunack stood up to help the little girl. "Are you alright?" he asked her, seeing her grazed knees. The young girl sniffled tearfully. Shunack took out some spare bandages which Yolda had given to him, wrapping them around the girl's knees. The girl looked down at him, wiping away her own tears. Shunack sat back where he was originally sitting. "Be careful," he told the girl before she ran off to go and play with her friend.

Yolda and Hajan had noticed Shunack's automatic response to the child's injury, curious.

"He's a selfless guy, isn't he?" Hajan acknowledged. "Even when he's getting over something traumatic he still shows that he cares about those around him..."

"I can tell that he has no bad intentions," Yolda confirmed. "The Forest may say that he is dangerous, but I don't believe those words."

"You never know," Hajan admitted. "I know he's a good guy and all, but his encounter with Ragna... It could change him over time..."

Shunack stood up finally, heading back indoors. Yolda and Hajan watched him silently.

"He's probably going to rest," Yolda guessed. "He has been sleeping a lot lately."

"Can't blame him," Hajan shrugged.

...

Shunack lay on his bed, again staring up at the ceiling. He had become as confused as he was when he first awakened in this world. Once again he felt his nose, feeling that it was still tender, though not as tender as before. The young man yawned silently, covering himself up with the blanket before falling asleep.

...

Night had come. Everyone in the town was sleeping, including Yolda. Yolda had checked on Shunack before she had gone to bed, making sure that he was alright. Shunack was fast asleep when she had checked on him, but now he was wide awake.

Shunack had quietly walked out of the building, staring at the Forest from where he was. It was quite some distance away, but Shunack wasn't deterred. He began to walk in the direction of the Forest.

The young man had taken a long time to walk to the Forest due to his injuries and hesitation, but eventually he made his way there. He stopped and stared for a moment before taking a deep breath and heading into the Forest's depths.

This time the Forest didn't attack him. The walk was quite peaceful as Shunack headed for the centre of the Forest.

And finally, he had made it.

Shunack stood facing a being of the Forest, looking quite afraid.

"What do you wish for, Shunack Narroth?" the voice of Berui asked, startling the man. Shunack gained some confidence as he spoke his answer.

"I want to help contribute to Neutral City."

"You wish to help out in a world where many see you as a threat?" Berui queried.

Shunack smiled ever so slightly. "Over this past month I have been deeply thinking about the past and the present," he explained. "And I have finally managed to let go of my past."

"You say that you have let go of your past, but the Forest can still sense your love for the world you came from," Berui responded.

"I did indeed love that world," Shunack admitted. "But that world is gone. I cannot return to the past, so I should just do my best to help improve this world. I can contribute to Neutral City's ideas. No... I want to protect Neutral City. After seeing the grim intentions of the citizens of Ragna... I have come to the conclusion that I must stop them from doing what they are currently doing."

"You once wanted to join with them," Zerui reminded. "The Forest sensed it. The Forest sensed your desire to join the nation of disaster."

"That was when I was confused," Shunack reminded. "I had just awoke in a strange new world... But now I have grown to like it here. I may be disliked by many citizens of the town, but I want to show them that I wish to defend them from any threat. I wish to extend their city and improve some of the structures..." The man then paused for a second. "...I wish to bring peace... Though I despise those who live in the city of Ragna, I still wish to open their eyes so that they can see what the people of Neutral City see... Another way to live..."

A green hand reached down to Shunack. "Then prove yourself, Shunack," the voices of both Berui and Zerui combined commanded. "Prove that you wish to defend the Forest and the town."

Shunack reached his hand up, making contact with the green hand. A bright light suddenly surrounded Shunack as he felt the Forest's energy coursing through his veins. His hair changed from jet black to pure silver as his eyes widened, showing just how energized he was. His scrawny and injured body became quite muscular and seemed to heal. Shunack smiled, happy that the Forest had accepted him as a worthy human, not to mention that he was also happy that he was now able to do more than just get loaves of bread for people.

"Prove yourself to the city, Shunack!" Berui and Zerui finalised. "Prove to them that you are not attached to your past!"

 **~End of Chapter~**


	7. Chapter 7: Enhanced

**~Chapter 7: Enhanced~**

Jessica sat staring at Shunack's note. She crushed it in her fist out of frustration. _'He's hiding something...'_ she thought. _'But what is it...? Could a young man really know how to destroy the Forest just like that...?'_

...

 _Jessica and her unit of soldiers were draining some water from the desert. They were succeeding until they were suddenly attacked by a beast sent by the Forest. Unprepared for the attack, the soldiers didn't even attempt to fight back as their equipment was destroyed. Jessica looked determined to fight, but there was nothing she could truly do. She turned to the group of soldiers. "Run!" she commanded, dashing into the Forest unintentionally._

 _"Colonel, wait!" one of the soldiers yelled, following her in a hesitant way since he knew how dangerous the Forest was. One soldier attempted to run away from the Forest and head straight back to Ragna, but the Forest beast had immediately caught up with him and devoured him whole. The other soldiers ran with Jessica, not wanting to have the same fate._

 _The group had run for some while, seeing an exit to the Forest ahead of them. Jessica looked back at her unit while she ran. "We'll head for that opening there and return to Ragna!" she planned. However, just as she and the soldiers thought that they were close to escaping the Forest, they fell down a large gap in between two toppled-over buildings from the past. Jessica let out a scream as she and her troop fell, all of them believing that they were all going to die._

 _But they survived. They had fallen into some water. Some soldiers attempted to take some water in whatever they had on them which could be used as a container, but Jessica just swam to find a foothold._

 _Thankfully a foothold was found. Jessica and the others climbed onto the platform and walked through a lit corridor. A few of the soldiers seemed quite fascinated by the lights as nothing seemed to be powering them. Jessica, on the other hand, paid no attention to them at all. She continued to walk with her group of soldiers, searching for a way out._

 _After a few minutes the Ragna soldiers had reached a large room. There was some weird device which was almost as big as the room itself, sitting in the room's centre. There were a few blinking red lights on the device, along with large numbers of pods sticking out from it._

 _One soldier looked into one of the pods which was sticking out. "A dead body?!" he exclaimed, turning to face Jessica. Jessica was staring at one of the blinking red lights on the lowest level of the peculiar container. The other soldiers were then silent completely, wondering what their leader was thinking about._

 _Jessica rested her hand against the red light curiously yet cautiously, only to hear a beeping sound. She stepped back as a tube was released. Warily Jessica stared at the pod, seeing that it was just like the others. However, the man inside this tube looked alive. He was frozen in a position as if he had been bashing on the glass with his fists. His expression was angry yet tearful and he looked like he was yelling. In one of his fists the man clutched a piece of paper._

 _"What...? Is that man alive...?" asked one of the soldiers. Jessica seemed to ignore his question, resting her hand on the glass in thought._

 _'How odd...' she thought to herself, staring at the frozen body. Suddenly the tube opened, causing Jessica to step back in a wary manner as she and the other soldiers took on a defensive position._

 _"No, Lynia! It's right behind you! RUN!" the man cried out, letting go of the piece of paper in his hand as he reached forward almost as if he was reaching for somebody. Jessica stared at him with a confused expression, picking up the piece of paper as the young man calmed down._

 _"He's alive..." whispered one of the soldiers to another soldier. Jessica watched as the man blinked a few times, almost as if he was snapping out of a trance slowly. His eyes then widened._

 _"Huh?!" he exclaimed, sitting up abruptly. He looked at all of the soldiers directly, almost examining each individual face._

...

 _'Shunack, the man from the past...'_ Jessica continued to think as she recalled the moment of Shunack's awakening. _'What secrets do you really have to tell...?'_

...

It was morning. Yolda wore a face of concern as she stepped outside, looking from left to right and then ahead of her. She hadn't seen Shunack in his room, or anywhere in the building for that matter. Yolda was about to go on a search for him until she heard the sound of his voice coming from... above?

"Yolda!" he called down to her. Yolda looked up and spotted the younger man, seeing that he was stood on top of the office building. Before Yolda could question why he was up there, Shunack hopped down. Yolda felt her eyes widen, only to see that Shunack had landed safely. The elder woman was confused, but then she noticed the colour of Shunack's hair.

"Shunack... Your hair..." she pointed out. "Did you... Did you go to the Forest?"

"Yes," Shunack answered. "For this past month I've been thinking about the events that occurred at Ragna, and I came to the conclusion that those ruthless people must be stopped."

Yolda was staring at him with wide eyes. "Shunack, you should consider yourself lucky that you're even alive," she stated. "The Forest could have devoured you whole."

"Well, it didn't," Shunack countered. "I knew that the Forest was unhappy with me being around because of my connections to the past. Some of my knowledge could be used to destroy the Forest and I'm sure that the Forest was well aware of that."

"So that's what the Forest was worried about when you were being held captive by the Ragna army..." Yolda acknowledged.

"Indeed," Shunack replied. "But as this month progressed I slowly began to abandon my past, and in doing so I have been accepted by the Forest."

"Again, you should consider yourself lucky," Yolda repeated. "There are some people who go to the Forest and..."

"End up being swallowed. I know," Shunack finished for her. "I'm not a fool, Yolda; I know what the Forest is capable of."

Yolda let out a sigh. "Very well, Shunack. If you say so," she responded, not wanting to argue with him. "But please, don't take anymore risks like that. It could cost your life."

Shunack huffed. "Like I honestly care about my life," he grunted before walking off and away from Yolda. Yolda watched him leave, a worried look painted upon her face.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	8. Chapter 8: The New Shunack

**~Chapter 8: The New Shunack~**

Nori was serving customers in the cafeteria which she worked in. Luckily there were not a lot of people in as it was still morning.

As the young woman placed down somebody's plate of food, she caught sight of somebody else entering the cafeteria. For a moment Nori thought that this was just another customer, only to see that it was Shunack. It had been a while since she had seen him. In fact, she hadn't seen him since before he was kidnapped. Shocked, Nori rushed over to him. "Shunack!" she greeted in a gasp. "It's um... it's been a while!"

Shunack looked surprised at her quick yet hesitant greeting, though he decided to smile and respond softly. "It has indeed," he agreed. "I do apologize for not coming to see you after my rescue. I had... some things to sort out."

Nori, having been too surprised to notice initially, noticed that Shunack's hair had changed colour. When she last saw him he had jet black hair, but now it was a beautiful silver colour. Instantly Nori was aware of what had happened.

"You went to the Forest?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes," Shunack answered simply, his smile soft albeit a little smug.

"By yourself?!" Nori questioned. "H-How did you even...?!"

Shunack just chuckled. "Nori, there is no need to sound so worried," he assured. "Indeed, the Forest could have killed me, and Yolda did reveal to me that the Forest wanted me gone, but I was able to make the Forest see me differently."

"Huh..." was all Nori could say, staring at the man's silver hair. There was a short silence as Nori stared while Shunack just allowed her to gaze, aware that she was surprised.

"Nori! Get back to work! Your break isn't for another four hours!" shouted Nori's boss.

"O-Oh...! S-S-Sorry, sir...!" Nori called back. She looked up at Shunack once again. "H-Hey... Would you um... meet me when it's my break?"

"Sure," Shunack agreed. "Where would you like to meet?"

"Just meet me outside the cafeteria, alright?" Nori planned.

"Very well," Shunack smiled.

Nori smiled back at him before returning to her work. Shunack then left the cafeteria, returning to Yolda to help her out with some of her usual business.

...

Agashi was outside his home sewing some seeds when Hajan came to visit him.

"Hey there, Agashi," Hajan waved as he crossed the ladder-bridge to meet with his old friend. Agashi looked up to look at him, smiling behind his silver moustache.

"Hajan, it's nice to see you," he greeted. "We haven't spoken in a while aside from the occasional times when we've crossed paths. How are you, old friend?"

"Oh, I'm doing just fine," Hajan responded casually. "Yolda is as busy as always."

"Is she still having to watch over that man who was found frozen in a box?" Agashi asked.

"Yeah, we both still need to keep an eye on him," Hajan answered. "He tends to attract trouble. First it was the Forest, then it was Ragna... Hopefully now he's alright, though."

"I've never actually seen this man," Agashi stated. "That probably means that he blends in well with the rest of Neutral City's citizens."

"He's learned the ways of the town pretty quickly," Hajan described. "Though he's not a very sociable young man..."

"So does he just stick with you and Yolda, then?" Agashi guessed.

"Pretty much," Hajan replied, shrugging a little. "If he's not with us he tends to be alone somewhere, though he does help out a lot of the citizens who are in need."

"He sounds like a pleasant young man," Agashi assumed.

"You should go and meet him one day; he may even help you with some chores," Hajan smiled.

"Perhaps one day I will meet him," Agashi responded. "We may cross paths at some point."

"You can't miss him," Hajan assured. "His hair is silver, just like ours."

Agashi seemed surprised. "Did he become enhanced?" he questioned.

"Yeah, apparently he went to the Forest last night," Hajan explained. "Yolda told me. I haven't seen him myself yet."

Agashi chuckled a little. "The hair might look good while he's young, but as soon as he turns forty it'll make him look as old as I do now."

Hajan laughed and pat his friend's back. "Your sense of humour never ceases to surprise me, Agashi," he admitted. Though he was well aware that Agashi did not have much time left.

...

Shunack pointed to a certain area on a map placed on Yolda's desk. "There," he said. "That's where another city must be buried."

"Right out in the desert?" Yolda asked.

"Yeah," Shunack confirmed. "It's North-East from where I was found. There should be a shopping centre there, probably still full of useful things which we could use for the town."

"Are you certain that it's there?" Yolda questioned.

"Yes, unless the Stayfield somehow moved while I was asleep," Shunack replied with some slight sarcasm. He then looked out of the window silently before continuing to speak. "I must go. I promised Nori that I'd meet her during her break."

"Nori?" Yolda asked. "The cafeteria waitress?"

"Yes," Shunack answered. "I'll be back in about an hour or so." With that, Shunack left the building. Yolda watched him until he was gone, then deciding to continue with her work.

...

Nori was sat at a table just outside of the cafeteria, her head propped up on her hand as she waited.

"Is this seat taken?" came a voice, surprising Nori. She looked up, only to see Shunack smiling down at her. Nori smiled with relief, though she did feel foolish for not noticing him as he walked over, probably due to the fact that she was daydreaming.

Shunack sat on the chair opposite her as he folded his arms, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs. "So, is there anything you wish to discuss?"

"U-Um..." Nori stuttered before realizing something. "We've never actually discussed our interests!"

Shunack raised an eyebrow. "Interests?"

"Yes! Like um..." Nori thought for a moment of what to ask before smiling a little when thinking of something. "What are your hobbies? Do you like art? Do you like sports such as running? What do you like?"

"Hobbies, hm?" Shunack thought aloud. He was once again transported back to the past. He had a lot of hobbies, but all of those hobbies were probably unheard of nowadays. However, the young man decided to answer. "Well, back in my time I used to enjoy sitting down with some ramen on a Saturday night. I would turn on the television and watch the latest episode of some comedy series."

As expected, Nori just looked extremely confused. "What's a television?" she asked him.

Shunack paused for a moment, thinking of a way to describe it. "Well... It was like this box with a moving picture on it," he described. "It would light up and you could watch things like... well... anything. Maybe one day I'll find one to show you. I'm sure that there are plenty of televisions buried out in the desert. Of course, it probably won't work but..."

"Can you tell me more about the past?" Nori decided to ask, though she did flinch a little in fear that it was too much of a risky question. Shunack stopped talking and looked at her oddly. His face almost looked horrified, but then he relaxed his expression and smile softly.

"Ask me anything you want," he responded.

Nori smiled happily and proceeded to ask Shunack questions ranging from what food they used to eat to what homes used to be like. Gradually Shunack became more and more engaged, answering the questions with passion and even adding humour into some responses, impersonating certain people, including himself. Nori laughed at Shunack's storytelling, both amused and fascinated by what he had to say.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	9. Chapter 9: The Stayfield

**~Chapter 9: The Stayfield~**

Shunack was sat on top of a building, feeling the gentle breeze on his face as he stared into the distant deserts. Out there many relics from his time were buried. One day he planned on recovering them, hoping to use some resources to help improve Neutral City. After all, the town was small and some areas were rather dangerous; it shocked Shunack when he saw young children running along the plank bridges, knowing that if they fell then they would surely die. He wanted to make sure the town was a much safer place to live.

"Hey, Shunack!" Hajan called from down below. "What're you doing up there? Don't tell me that you can't get down!"

The young man looked down at him before leaping down from the building's top, landing just in front of the elder. "I was just looking at the desert," he explained. "That's where I plan to go to recover some resources which could be used to help improve this town."

"You're past-world knowledge is extremely useful," Hajan smiled. "I think you could do a lot with the information you have in that head of yours. Just try not to do anything which may anger the Forest..."

"But what _does_ anger the Forest?" Shunack asked.

"Nobody really knows," Hajan answered. "But it has been confirmed that the Forest mainly dislikes anything that could be seen as a threat."

Shunack seemed to stare at Hajan in thought before simply responding with: "Huh."

Hajan smiled again, not wanting Shunack to become over-worried about anything. "I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. After all, the Forest seems to trust you and like you a lot. That's why you were allowed to become enhanced."

"Right," Shunack nodded, smiling a little.

"Anyway, I should be heading back to make sure the kids are alright," Hajan explained. "Is there anything you should be doing?"

Shunack thought for a moment before nodding. "I have to collect a pail of water for Yolda," he remembered. "And then I need to discuss some more plans for the town's development with her."

"Ah, right," Hajan understood, nodding his head slowly. "Well, I'm gonna leave you to it then. I'll see you around, Shunack." The elder than made his leave. Shunack stayed standing in the spot he was left in, once again facing in the direction of the desert. But then he thought about one of his previous personal goals. One which he had almost forgotten about.

He still wanted to return to the Stayfield.

Shunack was certain that more people were in hibernation. He didn't care who he would find, he just wanted to awaken everyone else.

But before that...

The young man took his raban from his wrist and set it to phone mode. If he called someone and their raban had an answer phone message then it meant that they were in hibernation since all of the other rabans had been destroyed. So Shunack decided to make the phone call which he had been longing to make since the day the lunar dome released the mutated trees.

He dialed the number.

3... 25... 15... 21... 23... 1...

And then it rang.

Shunack held the raban close to his ear anxiously, letting all other sounds fade out around him. This was all that he was focusing on. He wanted to know for sure if his fiance had made it or not. If she hadn't made it then of course he would be bereaved like all people if they lost a close one. If she truly had made it then he would have to go and wake her up.

The longest ten seconds of Shunack's life had passed as the results came to him.

 _"You have reached Shika Wakahisa's voice mail. I'm sorry, but I am currently unavailable to answer your call. Please leave a message after the tone and I will get back to you as soon as I can."_

These words made Shunack beam with glee as he held his raban close to his chest, tears of relief forming in his eyes. He had heard the beeping sound coming from the raban, holding it to his mouth as he searched for words. "Shika..." he said shakily, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I'm coming for you..." And then he ended the call, clipping his raban back around his wrist. The young man gained a somewhat childlike demeanour as he sprinted through the town gleefully. He crossed the bridge to the Forest and searched for the opening to the Stayfield which he had come from. It wasn't hard for him to locate. Once he had found it, he ran as fast as he could down the ancient stairs, sometimes leaping over the banisters.

He was going to reunite with his beloved Shika.

Shunack had finally reached the Stayfield, calling Shika's raban once again just so that he could find out where her tube was. He heard the ringing sound, hearing that it came from...

Underwater?

Confused, Shunack ended the call attempt. He was standing in some shallow water, but what he hadn't noticed was the fact that the water had actually flooded all of the lower floors of the Stayfield. Shunack's eyes widened with worry as he dived under the water, swimming down the flooded staircase. He could see the flickering lights of the Stayfield. While underwater he called Shika one last time to try and find which pod was hers, finding it easily. He managed to activate it and eject it from the Stayfield, only to discover that...

The tube had been flooded.

Shunack was about to scream but knew that he would waste his oxygen. He opened the tube in a rushed manner, grabbing Shika and swimming back up to the surface with her. The young man carried her drenched body to the staircase which led to the outside world, collapsing onto his knees before even reaching the third step.

"Shika... Shika, can you hear me?!" he cried, shaking her pale body. There was not response. He lay her down and started to perform CPR, both by trying to restart her heart and by breathing air into her. When he pressed the area where her lungs were located water leaked out of her mouth, but still there was nothing.

The young man stared down at her. He was in disbelief. She had made it to the Stayfield all that time ago, but...

Shunack slowly and shakily lay his head on Shika's chest. There was no heartbeat. He could feel the tears leaking from his eyes as he tried desperately not to cry. Shunack gently took hold of her damp, cold hand, wrapping his hand around it firmly. A small and soft sob was heard as he clenched his teeth in an attempt to not cry at all, but his emotions had defeated him. He tightened his eyes shut as more sobs escaped from him. Gradually they got louder and louder before he soon screamed in distress. His scream echoed through the Forest, and since the Forest heard it, it was also heard by those who were enhanced.

Yolda had made her way to the Forest, finding him with the body of his fiance. She saw him sobbing as he rocked the body in his arms, holding her close to his chest as if to keep her warm. Yolda slowly made her way down the stairs, having not heard anyone cry with such heartbreak in a long time. Shunack looked up at her suddenly and swiftly, tears still streaming and stained on his cheeks.

"Don't come any closer!" he warned with rage. "Don't touch her!"

"Shunack..." Yolda said softly, kneeling down beside him and putting a hand on his back. The young man shoved her away as he cradled Shika closer.

"I said don't come any closer!" he repeated as his sobs became louder. Yolda just sat beside him as he cried, deciding not to disturb him.

Neither of the two knew how long it took for Shunack's rage to ease, but when it did, he turned his head to look at Yolda. As expected tears were still streaming rapidly. Yolda stared back at him silently and sympathetically. Once again she put a hand on his back. This time, instead of pushing her away, Shunack clung to her desperately. He cried into her shoulder, his weeping muffled. Yolda just let him cry, trying to hush him and soothe him as if comforting a child who had just awoken from a nightmare. She could hear the pain in his sobs and knew that it was best to just let him get the sobs out, her eyes wandering to Shika's corpse as she held him close.

"She will become one with the Forest's consciousness, Shunack..." Yolda told him softly in an attempt to make him feel better. "Everyone does... One day you will see her again..."

Shunack didn't respond to her. He just continued to cry into her shoulder. Her words probably comforted the people of this world, but he understood that her spirit would not ascend into any consciousness. Once someone was dead, they were dead.

The young man cried for a long while before finally he seemed to fall silent. Carefully, Yolda lifted him away from her. She then noticed that Shunack had cried himself to sleep. Letting out a quiet sigh, she lifted the young man up. One last time she looked down at the body of the young woman before carrying Shunack back to Neutral City.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	10. Chapter 10: The Grief

**~Chapter 10: The Grief~**

Shunack lay on the bed in Yolda's home, facing the wall. If he was seen by anyone who entered the room they would probably believe that he was asleep, but his eyes were wide open. But nobody did enter the room. The only person to come in now and again was Yolda, who was now coming in to check on the young man properly.

"Shunack..." she began quietly. "How are you feeling...?"

The silver-haired man didn't even turn over to look at her. He was still in a complete state of shock. The only person he thought about every day, the person he planned to spend the rest of his life with, was dead. Tears leaked out of his lifeless eyes as he tried not to focus on his deceased fiance, but all that came to his mind were flashbacks of the couple back before the incident on the moon. The flashbacks were so vivid that Shunack didn't even notice Yolda anymore. In fact, everything around him no longer existed in his eyes.

Yolda let out a sigh. "Do come out when you feel better," she said softly. "I understand the pain you are feeling."

These words managed to get through to the man who lay in a daze, his eyes widening after he took time to process what had just been said. However, he almost immediately returned to his own state of sorrow as Yolda left the room. He didn't focus on the worlds Yolda had just said, instead focusing on all of his memories involving his beloved Shika. The more the young man thought about Shika the more he would curl up and clutch the thin sheet which covered the bed.

"Shika..." he breathed quietly, his breath shaky. "Shika..." Shunack's hands could not clench the bed sheet much harder without ripping it, so he decided to loosen his grip ever so slightly. He lifted his head up slightly before pushing himself into a sitting position, eyes red and swollen due to his previous crying. As he wore his face of sorrow, it occurred to him that there was nothing left for him to live for. His main goal was to find Shika and reunite with her, but she was dead.

That's when Shunack realised something. Shika wasn't killed during the attack which wiped out most of humanity. She had managed to enter stay-field hibernation, so she should have been safe. But her stay-field had been flooded. There was no such thing as a natural flood in this new world - that's something which Shunack had figured out. The Forest controlled the supply of water. The Forest controlled the weather. So an entire room of cryogenically frozen humans being flooded to the point where every human inside a chamber drowned was by no means a coincidence.

Shunack grit his teeth as he pieced together the reasons for Shika's death. Murder by drowning, he decided. And how long was her stay-field flooded for? Each pod seemed to be active and the bodies had not yet decomposed. In fact, Shika looked as if she had only just died within the week.

Did the Forest kill Shika because it new of Shunack's intention to awaken her?

Shunack let out a low growl as he stood himself up, supporting himself against the wall since he still felt as though he would collapse with grief. When he felt steady, Shunack pushed himself away from the wall and made his way towards the room's exit. His face, despite his swollen red eyes, seemed filled with anger and rage. Shunack had changed how he saw the Forest completely.

He hated the Forest.

...

 _Shunack and Lynia followed Dr. Sakul with the other scientists, wondering what the scientist had meant when he told the others that he was working on an emergency operation which could destroy the Forest._

 _"Sir," Shunack began. "This operation of yours... what is it?"_

 _"The Environmental Defragmentation System which I have named E.S.T.O.C. for short," Dr. Sakul answered. "I have not yet finished it, but when it is complete I plan to harness the energy of Mount Ontake and convert it into a large weapon which would be used to destroy the Forest. Hopefully I will complete the project before it is too late..."_

 _"What happens if it's too late?" Lynia asked curiously, causing Shunack to look back at him._

 _Dr. Sakul paused before responding. "Too late means that the Forest would have taken over the planet," he announced. "So destroying it would mean the possible destruction of the entire world."_

 _"Sounds risky..." Lynia muttered._

 _"We'll destroy the Forest by any means necessary," Shunack stated. "We cannot allow humanity to fall because of nature."_

 _Dr. Sakul glared at Shunack. "It was our fault that this happened," he reminded. "Not nature's." As he said that, another tremor occurred. The flooring beneath them started to crack. "Run!" Dr. Sakul instructed, running with the other scientists. Shunack and Lynia followed, but before they made it the ground beneath them caved in. The two scientists screamed as they fell._

 _Shunack landed on his back while Lynia landed on his front, Shunack wincing in agony as he felt a horrible stinging pain in his back. Lynia, on the other hand, forced himself onto his feet._

 _"Screw them," he cursed. "They didn't even look down the hole to see if we were okay." He held his hand out to Shunack, allowing the other man to grab his hand so that he could be pulled up to his feet. "Come on, we're going to the Stayfield." With that, Lynia turned and walked down a corridor of flickering lights as Shunack followed._

 _There in a room behind a door at the end of the hallway was the Stayfield. The two scientists entered the room as Lynia opened the first pod. "You go in first," he instructed._

 _"But what about you...?" Shunack asked._

 _"I'm right behind you," Lynia assured with a wink. "I'll enter hibernation just after you." The man paused before pulling out his small notepad from his lab coat's pocket. He ripped two pieces of paper from it and pulled out his pen, writing on both sheets of paper: 'Remember the Forest's weakness.'_

 _"What's that for?" Shunack asked as Lynia shoved one of the pieces of paper in his hand._

 _"For when we wake up," Lynia answered. "Memory loss also can occur after being in the Stayfield for too long. I'd keep a note if I were you."_

 _"Well I don't have a choice now, do I?" Shunack chuckled, referencing the fact that Lynia had forced him to have a note anyway._

 _"No, you don't," Lynia responded with a playful smile._

 _Shunack then climbed into the pod and looked up as Lynia started pressing a few buttons. The glass slid over him as a shield as Lynia began to alter the temperatures, but seconds before Shunack was put into a state of hibernation he saw what appeared to be a woodland beast crashed through the ceiling._

 _"No, Lynia! It's right behind you! RUN!" he cried, bashing his fists against the glass. Lynia was about to turn around, but before he could the woodland beast tore into him and ripped him in half. Shunack then blacked out, not to be wake up until three hundred years had passed._

...

Shunack winced and held his head as he remembered his last moments before hibernation, his eyes widening. He hadn't just lost Shika; he had lost Lynia, as well. His lover and his best friend were both victims to the Forest, and he was certain that the Forest remembered the day Lynia was killed.

 _'This is by no means a coincidence...'_ the young man thought to himself. _'The Forest killed Lynia all them years ago right before my very eyes... It remembers me, and therefore it seeks to make my life a misery... by killing my fiance I was so desperate to reunite with...'_

Attempting to shake off his anger, Shunack made his way through the door and left the room. He had a bone to pick with the Forest, and he was sure that the Forest would sense that. If so, he hoped that the Forest would explain to him the purpose of its actions. In the meantime, however, Shunack planned to keep his distance from the Forest and focus on fixing Neutral City's problems. He was going to resurrect the past with his bare hands whether the Forest like it or not. The people of this world did not deserve to be oppressed by something which should not even have a consciousness in the first place.

...

 _Thud. Thud. Thud._

"His hatred is growing!" Zerui cried.

"His hatred for the Forest grows rapidly," Berui extended.

"He seeks to bring back the world of the past!" Zerui wailed.

"Bring back the past will eventually destroy the Forest," Berui informed.

"He'll destroy the Forest!" Zerui added.

"He'll destroy the world," Berui emphasized.

And at the same time the two Forest beings said:

"The man must be stopped!"

...

Nori was at the market, purchasing a bag of salt with some of the water she had earned from her job. She looked in the direction of Yolda's tower thoughtfully, having heard from Hajan that Shunack was there grieving for his deceased fiance. She wore a face of worry and concern, understanding how grief felt.

Agito, a young boy and son of the great Agashi, laughed as he ran past Nori with his good friend, Cain, following close behind him. The pair almost knocked the young waitress over, but Agito was the one who slowed down and turned around to look at her.

"Sorry!" he apologized before running to catch up with his friend.

Nori continued to walk, returning to her house with her bag of salt. She silently hoped that Shunack was alright, planning to cheer him up by baking some cake for him.

...

Yolda caught sight of Shunack exiting the building, approaching him immediately. "Shunack," she called. "How are you feeling? Are you sure that you've rested enough?"

"I'm fine," Shunack answered, hiding his tension underneath his calm mask. He then managed to force a smile to appear on his face. "I'm going to the desert to excavate some of the city I told you about."

"Are you sure that you should be doing such a thing?" Yolda asked.

"It won't anger the Forest," Shunack assured.

"What about the Ragna soldiers?" Yolda questioned. "They don't like you. Jessica is most likely after you."

"Last time I was unaware of my own importance to this world," Shunack told her. "But now I've remembered everything. I'm not nervous anymore, and I refuse to be pushed around like a weakling. With my new enhanced form I could take on the entire Ragna army."

"There's more to being enhanced than attacking those who you see as enemies," Yolda informed the young man. "You mustn't be so arrogant. If you see yourself as powerful you'll end up letting your power consume you." She paused and narrowed her eyes. "I've seen it before, when a young man gives in to power."

Shunack looked at her, allowing a brief silence before he responded. "I'll keep that in mind," was all he said, turning around. "Now if you'll excuse me I have a city to extend." With that, Shunack ran forwards and jumped up high into the air, leaping towards the desert. Yolda watched him leave and shook her head before walking away, deeply concerned for Shunack.

...

Shunack ran into the desert, seeing a building which was partially buried by the sand. He stood with his arms folded as he stared down at it before using his hands to paw away at the sand. The desert was incredibly hot, so Shunack had to undo his turquoise shirt and roll his black trousers up as much as he could. After a while he tore off his shirt's sleeves, allowing for his skin to breathe as he continued to dig. His efforts were not going to waste since his enhanced abilities allowed him to move quickly and efficiently, so digging up sand was not a highly complicated task.

But after some time, a shadow was cast over him. He stopped digging, realising that someone was standing beside him and blocking out the sunlight.

"It's been a while, Shunack Narroth," came the familiar commanding voice which belonged to Colonel Jessica.

 **~End of Chapter~**


	11. Chapter 11: Ragna's Temptation

**~Chapter 11: Ragna's Temptation~**

Shunack stared up at Jessica before rising up to his feet. "You..." he said quietly, narrowing his eyes at the military woman. "What do you want?"

"Many things, Shunack," Jessica retorted. "Personally I want to watch you bleed to death, but for now I cannot let such a thing happen." The woman grabbed the man by his silver hair, pulling him so that he was face-to-face with her. "What exactly are you hiding?"

For a moment Shunack grimaced from having his hair tugged, but soon he assumed a tough glare. "I've already made it quite clear that I won't tell you anything," he told her. "The knowledge I am hiding from you is dangerous. It's better if I keep my secrets from harming this world."

"The Forest's 'weakness' could be the key to humanity's victory in dominating the world once again," Jessica told him viciously. "The Ragna army seeks to control the Forest in order to let humanity thrive upon the Earth."

Shunack completely understood Jessica's words, and in all honesty he agreed with her views, but he did not trust her. E.S.T.O.C. was a weapon built to destroy the Forest, not control it; if it fell into the wrong hands then the entire planet could collapse.

"Again, I will not share any of my knowledge with you," the enhanced human repeated. He saw Jessica grit her teeth and clench her fists, almost preparing to fight him. "Don't bother trying to fight me," Shunack said in response to her body language. "As you can see, I am enhanced with the Forest's power."

Jessica narrowed her eyes at him, having already guessed that Shunack was enhanced due to his new hair colour. "Why do you keep your knowledge to yourself?" she decided to ask. "If you had a note to remind you of the Forest's weakness then surely you must want what the Ragna army wants. You must want humanity to thrive once again. You _lived_ in a time where humanity thrived!"

There was a pause before Shunack calmly responded to Jessica's words. "I am only to use the power if the world is no longer safe for humans," he told her. "As you can see, the Forest is peaceful towards the inhabitants of Neutral City. I myself was allowed to become enhanced by the Forest despite being from the past, not to mention that the nation of Ragna isn't constantly being attacked by the Forest. If you ask me, the world isn't suffering as much as the people of the past thought it would suffer."

Jessica stepped forward, ready to punch Shunack, but stopped as she realised that punching him would do no good since he was now enhanced. She scowled at him, gritting her teeth. Shunack remained relatively calm, perhaps also feeling a little smug since he was now much stronger than the militant.

"You should return to Tria City; you have no business with me here," the young man told the woman. Jessica narrowed her eyes and turned around.

"Don't expect this to be the last time you'll see me," she scoffed as she started walking. "I will not give up until I get my answers from you." She stopped walking to look back at him one last time. "And next time we meet, you'll have the entire Ragna army to answer to." Once she had said her final statement, Jessica walked off to return to Ragna.

Shunack watched her leave before continuing to dig for a while longer. When he had managed to uncover one of the windows to the building he was digging up, Shunack smashed the glass with his fist. He went inside the collapsed structure to look around for anything which could be considered useful. At first the sight depressed him since the building he had entered was one he had been to back in the past; it was part of a mall. But Shunack quickly discarded all thoughts of depression when he realised that salvaging for usable items in a mall would most likely result in him returning to Neutral City with plenty of things to show everyone. Even better: he was the only one who knew how to use most of the items from the past.

...

Nori had spent the day baking a cake for Shunack, rather proud of her efforts. Baking cakes was difficult in this era, and took a lot longer since ovens didn't really exist. The young woman smiled to herself as she placed the cake on a table to cool down, hoping that when Shunack returned he would appreciate her efforts.

But then she stopped smiling. Shunack always had his mind on Shika. He had always wanted to reunite with her, but now that she was dead... he couldn't. But he still refused to let her go. He wouldn't move on.

That was one of Shunack's major flaws: clinging to the past.

Nori let out a heavy sigh, feeling rather saddened all of a sudden. Shunack would never appreciate her. She didn't want to ever accept it but... she had to. He loved Shika, and no one else. He would never care for anyone else.

Yet he was the only man Nori spoke to her seemed... nice.

The black-haired waitress growled a little and forced a smile. She couldn't be so depressed about such a thing. After all, Shunack was just a friend of hers.

...Right?

...

Yolda stood beside Hajan, the pair looking out to the desert as they watched Shunack walk back towards the town, dragging a large pile of odd items behind him.

"Think he's doing okay?" Hajan asked.

"He's... getting better," Yolda answered. "But the Forest seems to think otherwise."

"The Forest is probably just confused," Hajan assumed. "Shunack is a very complex man."

"He is indeed," Yolda agreed. "But the Forest is not easily confused. It knows Shunack from the past; I can sense it. And the Forest can sense some tension in Shunack's mind. Some... consideration. As if Shunack is considering one thing or the other."

Hajan let silence occur for a moment before he spoke up. "...Shunack's having second thoughts about turning down Jessica's offer, isn't he?" he guessed. Yolda almost flinched at the words.

"I think so," she admitted. "Again, the Forest isn't new to all of this. They've dealt with many people in the past who tried to fight it out of pure hatred, and they've definitely seen citizens of Neutral City join Ragna."

This time Hajan didn't want to respond verbally. He knew what Yolda was talking about. He knew _who_ she was talking about.

"...Maybe you should talk to him," the older man eventually suggested. His friend looked at him strangely before he continued. "...We don't want someone like him joining Ragna. He's been enhanced. He has secrets of the past that only he knows that could end this world. ...Maybe you should just talk to him."

Yolda was silent, but she nodded slowly as she turned to look back at Shunack, who was currently trying to climb his way up to the city with all of the stuff he had found.

"...I'll speak with him later tonight," the elder woman planned. "I'll take him to the memorial and tell him what happened only a couple of years ago."

"...I'm sure he'll reconsider his recent thoughts when he hears what you have to tell him," Hajan stated.

"Hmph," Yolda responded thoughtfully.

...

Shunack was panting heavily when he finally managed to drag everything up to the city itself, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He stood and tried to catch his breath as he heard some light footsteps approaching him. The silver-haired man turned and saw Nori as she approached him shyly with a sweet smile on her face.

"Good evening," she greeted.

"...Hey," Shunack panted tiredly.

"You were gone for a while. Need a drink?" Nori asked.

"No thanks, I can manage..." Shunack assured as he stood straight, having regained himself. He looked down at the young woman, tilting his head to the side before he smiled a little. "So how are you?"

"I'm great!" Nori chirped. "I knew you were out in the desert, and I knew you were still kind of sad so... I baked a cake for you!"

Shunack stared at her. "...A cake, huh?" he asked, chuckling a little in an almost sad manner.

"Yeah!" Nori replied. "Cakes are very hard to make these days, but I wanted to make you one! Nobody really gives you anything in return for what you do for them. I wanted to... y'know, make you happy!"

The young man stared at her. Any normal man would see this as an act of someone who may have felt a little romantic, but Shunack was by no means ordinary. He just smiled kindly.

"Thank you," he thanked. "But I don't do that much for this city..."

"Of course you do!" Nori assured, beaming happily as she gestured to the town surrounding the pair. "You've done so much for this place! You've improved transportation of goods, made efficient contraptions and made the city a whole lot safer!"

Shunack looked around, thinking about what Nori had just said. It was indeed true, but he couldn't take full credit for it. "...Yolda and Hajan still do a lot of work, too," he pointed out.

"I guess..." Nori replied quietly. "...But you're introducing us to things from the past! That's... quite cool!"

"You seem awfully cheery tonight," Shunack noticed. "Is something wrong?"

Nori looked at him oddly, surprised that he picked up on her cheery behaviour at this moment. "...No, I'm just in a good mood from baking a cake..." she told him, looking at the floor as she scratched the back of her head. "It took a lot of effort..."

Shunack smiled. "...You should share it with me," he offered, seeing the young female widen her eyes in surprise as she looked at him. "Cakes are better when shared with those you care about, right?"

"...Right..." Nori responded slowly. This was... an unusually charming comment coming from someone like Shunack. Unless it was just a friendly gesture more than anything, that is.

Again, Shunack smiled. He was about to ask to go back to Nori's place to share the cake with her, but saw Yolda approaching out of the corner of his eye. "Oh. Hello, Yolda," he greeted with a small smile. Yolda nodded to him in response.

"Shunack," she began. "I want you to come by my office later this evening. There's something I must talk to you about."

"Huh?" Shunack reacted, sounding confused. "...Alright." The young man turned back to Nori and smiled. "Let's eat that cake first, shall we?"

Nori smiled happily. "Sure!" she agreed.

...

Later that evening, Shunack approached Yolda's office building. He headed up to her office and knocked on the door.

"Come in," she called. Shunack opened the door and walked inside.

"...You wanted to talk to me?" the man recalled.

"Yes," Yolda responded as she walked over to him. "Come; follow me." The elder woman walked past him and out of the office. Shunack seemed confused, but followed her.

"Where are we going?" he asked as the two headed out of the structure. Yolda didn't actually answer him, so Shunack decided to remain silent as he followed the woman.

The walk wasn't too long, but eventually Yolda came to a halt. Shunack stopped beside her and looked at her for a moment, before following the gaze to see what she was looking at.

A ruined statue.

"What's that?" the young man queried out of curiosity.

"That is a memorial statue," Yolda answered simply. "Hajan and I built it a few years ago."

The statue wasn't particularly large, instead being the size of a regular human. The statue was of what appeared to be a young man with a cloak. No... Shunack recognized the armour shaped into the statue. That was standard Ragna soldier armour this young man was depicted wearing.

Shunack knelt down by the statue's base, and engraved into the stone he saw the words:

 _'In Memory of Shaan'_

"Who's Shaan?" Shunack asked, looking up at Yolda.

"I'll tell you," Yolda answered. "I want you to learn something from him."

 **~End of Chapter~**


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